GUILTY CA - Joanne Witt, 47, slain, El Dorado Hills, 11 June 2009

[2step]

Mods, if this was posted elsewhere, please delete. Thanks!

http://edhtelegraph.com/detail/116951.html

Law enforcement officials have released the identity of the woman whose body was found in her El Dorado Hills home on Monday as 47-year-old Joanne M. Witt. They have also issued arrest warrants for her daugther, 14-year-old Tylar Witt, and her daughter's boyfriend, 19-year-old Steven "Boston" Colver.

http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-news-murder0616,0,2499691.story video at link

 

[oceanblueeyes]

http://www.abc3340.com/news/stories/0609/632893.html

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. - A 14-year-old girl and her boyfriend were arrested Wednesday as suspects in the murder of the girl's mother, who was found stabbed in her northern California home, authorities said. Tylar Witt and Steven Colver, 19, were taken into custody by San Bruno police at a Red Lobster restaurant about 15 miles south of San Francisco, said El Dorado County Sheriff's Department Capt. Craig Therkildsen.

 

[Tom'sGirl]

More info. with photos
http://www.smh.com.au/world/girl-14-and-boyfriend-arrested-over-mothers-death-20090618-cj3s.html

 

[January.]

Another parent killed for trying to protect her daughter from dating someone dangerous. It's so sad.

 

[Tonia]

Teen Accused Of El Dorado Murder Pleads Not Guilty
14-Year-Old Suspect May Be Tried As Adult

Steven Colver made his first court appearance this afternoon and entered the not guilty plea. On Friday, the El Dorado County District Attorney filed murder charges against him with a special allegation that he used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife. Today, the District Attorney's office said they would not be filing statutory rape charges against Colver because the key witness, Tylar's mother, is now dead.

Colver made his court appearance just hours after Tylar made her first appearance in juvenile court this morning.

In a rare move, the public including CBS13 reporter David Begnaud, was allowed in the courtroom despite the fact that it was a juvenile hearing.

Witt was in a jail issued jumpsuit shackled at her waist and ankles, her hair now bluish-black, when she came into court. David described her as polite and energetic when she told the judge her name was Tylar Marie Witt. The judge remanded Witt back to juvenile detention.

While the counts against Witt were not read aloud in juvenile court, the judge did say she is facing 25 years to life in prison if she is convicted. CBS13 has learned Witt is being charged with murder. She is also facing charges from two previous alleged crimes, one count of battery of her mother and one count of possession of stolen property.
El Dorado County prosecutors have yet to decide whether to charge a 14-year-old girl as an adult in the slaying of her mother.

Deputy District Attorney Lisette Suder says the life sentence could be imposed if Witt is eventually tried and convicted as an adult. Witt's attorney, Mark Ralphs, declined comment.

http://cbs13.com/local/tylar.witt.court.2.1054402.html

 

[Sal]

Wonder if either of them have come to realize that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't really worth it.

 

[dgfred]

Assaulted in May, killed in June... how sad.

 

[MomofBoys]

For Tylar, the worst punishment will come later, I think. She's be separated from this guy she believes is the sun and the moon and the stars and then once the initial "love" euphoria fades, the guilt will fall down on her hard. Or at least I hope so. If she's not a sociopath, she'll spend the rest of her life horrified by her actions, even if that awareness will have to wait for maturity.

 

[dgfred]

For Tylar, the worst punishment will come later, I think. She's be separated from this guy she believes is the sun and the moon and the stars and then once the initial "love" euphoria fades, the guilt will fall down on her hard. Or at least I hope so. If she's not a sociopath, she'll spend the rest of her life horrified by her actions, even if that awareness will have to wait for maturity.

You are right. So difficult nowadays to raise children right anyway. Seems like the old 'parent doesn't want me with the guy, so I'm gonna do it anyway' syndrome. You know what is right and what you have to do, but the youngsters sometimes turn you into the villian.

 

[MeoW333]

http://cbs13.com/local/el.dorado.hills.2.1214190.html

The two murderers may be tried together now..

 

[dgfred]

Thanks for the update.

 

[MeoW333]

Your welcome =)

 

[Fairy1]

The boy may very well to be primarily to blame, but it's interesting to me that so many posters are quick to blame him and not the girl. IDK what happened, but teenaged girls are tough - even under the best of circumstances. This girl was arrested for abusing her own mother just prior to the murder. IMO, she was no innocent being led around by the nose by her BF. It may turn out that she was the mastermind in this tragic case. I guess we shall see, but I'm glad to see they'll be tried together. Whatever set this crime in motion, they were most likely both in it up to their eyeballs.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

The boy may very well to be primarily to blame, but it's interesting to me that so many posters are quick to blame him and not the girl. IDK what happened, but teenaged girls are tough - even under the best of circumstances. This girl was arrested for abusing her own mother just prior to the murder. IMO, she was no innocent being led around by the nose by her BF. It may turn out that she was the mastermind in this tragic case. I guess we shall see, but I'm glad to see they'll be tried together. Whatever set this crime in motion, they were most likely both in it up to their eyeballs.

Well as you know Fairy, I am not one of those posters. Imo one of the problems in our justice system is the double standards on how we look at both genders and the criminal acts they are accused of......

I have always found that in cases like this the daughter was the one who was the ringleader who wanted their parent eradicated so they could do what they da*n well wanted to and with whom. This girl certainly was no innocent bystander. She had already assaulted her mother before she was murdered. She probably complained to her B/F that her mother had to be killed so they could be together.

Imo, she was right in the middle of the planning. No doubt imo, she wanted her mother dead and she knew she could get her b/f do see that it was done.

She needs to be punished as much as the boy friend but alas that usually doesn't happen.

imo

 

[Texas Mist]

Sex, Drugs & Murder: Tylar Witt Drugged Mom Before El Dorado Hills Killing, Prosecutors Say

<snip>

PLACERVILLE, CA - Graphic details emerged Tuesday in the case of Tylar Witt, 14, accused of fatally stabbing her mother inside of their El Dorado Hills home in June.

Tuesday's hearing was part of proceedings to determine whether the teen should be tried as an adult in the murder of Joanne Witt in their Tattinger Court home June 11 or 12.

...

Another detective said that during the course of the investigation, deputies learned Colver and Witt had spiked one of Joanne's alcohol bottles with vicadin so she would fall asleep and they could escape.

The defense argued the toxicology report showed no signs of vicadin in Joanne's body at the time of the autopsy, disproving Tylar's involvement in the actual murder.

The prosecution argued Tylar drugged Joanne, waited for her to fall asleep and allegedly called Colver over to her house where she watched him stab her multiple times before both escaped.

much more here

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=70490&provider=top

 

[Lovejac]

I almost hope she was drugged, poor mom. Then she wouldn't have known who did this to her.

They better try her as an adult! Wonder if each of them will try to blame the other one for the actual stabbing.

ETA: I guess she DID know what was happening I found this from the article above.

The fourth witness on the stand, Detective Eric Harnege, said he was one of the responding deputies and noted about 20 stab or incise wounds on Joanne's body: three to her neck, five to her chest, two each on her shoulder and cheek and about seven on her hands.

He said the most significant wound to her neck was over 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. Harnege also said the marks on her hands appeared to be defense wounds

 

[LaWanda]

Why is it taking so long to decide to try Tylar as an adult? They just decided in the Olten case today and it's only been a month. This has been about 6 months, right?

 

[JoeFromLB]

Tylar Witt will be tried as an adult, is held without bail, and preliminary hearing set for January 7, 2010. She faces a minimum 25 years to life.

http://m.news10.net/news.jsp?key=228786

 

[Lovejac]

Tylar Witt will be tried as an adult, is held without bail, and preliminary hearing set for January 7, 2010. She faces a minimum 25 years to life.

http://m.news10.net/news.jsp?key=228786

GREAT news! Thank you for posting.

 

[Texas Mist]

<snipped>


January 7, 2010
DA: Teen lovers tried to hide sex before killing mom

By Peter Hecht

phecht@sacbee.com

Teen lovers Tylar Marie Witt and Steven Paul Colver made plans to get married as they struggled to conceal their sexual relationship from Witt's mother, testimony revealed today as the pair faced a preliminary hearing on murder charges in El Dorado County Superior Court.

....

In a journal authorities said was written by Tylar Witt, the teen detailed her romantic relationship.

"Last night, he repeatedly told me her loved me; that he wanted to marry me," an El Dorado County Sheriff's detective read. After offering details on their sexual relationship, Witt allegedly added, "I don't know how long we can keep our love away from my mother... It's so dangerous. I wish it wasn't though."

Earlier today, Witt's public defender Mark Ralphs sought to bar the preliminary hearing. He charged that prosecutors had committed "misconduct or at the very least gross negligence" in failing to provide toxicology reports to the defense until just a day before the hearing.

Ralphs said the reports confirmed that his client could not have drugged her mother before the murder as prosecutors had alleged.

more here

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/crime/archives/2010/01/da-teen-lovers.html